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Thursday, January 14, 2010

This week has been fairly typical, but I feel like I've been running nonstop. Along with the usual, Lex and Jax had an appointment with the eye doctor on Monday. Lex's eyes are continuing to improve on their own which is a good thing, but now she needs new glasses again. Tuesday was band practice for Jackson, a dermatologist appointment for Austin and a confirmation meeting at the church for Savannah. Last night I had a mammogram appointment and I didn't really want to drag all the kids to that, so I paid Austin and Savannah to babysit and they did an awesome job. And by "they", I mean Savannah did an awesome job while Austin sat around playing video games.

So, I got to the medical center and I donned my snazzy purple gown and even remembered to put it on with the opening in front this time. (I have no idea what kind of idiot would put a gown on with the opening in back when they're getting a MAMMOGRAM. Ahem.) The technician took me in a room, and after asking me a few questions, plopped my left boob on the tray, and bent my right arm. Then she folded my fingers around a handle and told me to hold on. Then she moved my hips over and turned my head. Then she had me stand on one foot and put my other hand on my head. Then she had me do the hokey pokey and turn myself around (while my boob was still on the tray). Finally, came the fun part where the machine came down and squished me flat. Well, as flat as someone with big boobs can get which is still surprisingly flat. Before she snapped my picture, she told me not to move. Really? Don't move? Where was I going to go??? My boob was being held in a vice. If I moved anywhere, it was going to cause a serious medical emergency because I was pretty sure my boob would stay behind in the machine.

Honestly, I don't want to scare anyone from making that appointment and getting that mammogram done. I mean, it wasn't exactly fun having a stranger plop my boobs on the tray and I didn't really enjoy having them squished in a vice, but as uncomfortable as it might be, it really doesn't hurt. Not fun - true. Painful - really not. My aunt Vasiliki is a breast cancer survivor. Early detection is so important. So just go do it. As a bonus you'll get some funky cool nipple stickers too! (And one of these times, I'll remember to take them off before leaving.)

(Don't worry, they're just on my arm here.)

And tonight, Savannah and Jackson had a band concert. It's amazing the difference between the 5th grade band (how many times can you hear Hot Cross Buns without wanting to jab a drumstick in your ear?) and the highest level 7th/8th grade band. Wow! Brooklyn played games on my phone, squirmed around, and accidentally kicked the poor woman in front of me 8000 times. Sorry. Brooklyn, watch your feet. I'm so sorry. Brooklyn! Your feet! Oh please excuse us! I'm sorry! Brooklyn, watch your feet!!! I'm SOOO sorry! Of course she was wearing her pink cowboys too. Ugh.

Clay has missed the last 2 days of school because he has pink eye. His birthday is Saturday, so I'm staying up all night, baking him cupcakes to take to school tomorrow. He wants a Pirates of the Caribbean theme for his birthday so I'm putting little Jolly Rogers on them. A skull and crossbones - how appropriate for Clay, huh? One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns. (Sorry, I can't get that out of my mind and well, I like to share.)

Every time I'm in the mammo vice, I think about some poor woman who faints! I've asked the techs several times if they've ever had a woman go down (can you even imagine) and they all seem to have had a fainter. Proud of you for going for another mammo, didn't you have trouble last time? ... Sharon

My girlfriend and I are having a Mammy/Pedi day. We scheduled our mammograms one right after the other. Then we are going to do some shopping, get pedicures and go out to lunch. This will be the first mammogram for both of us but we are both looking forward to the fun we are going to have when we are done!

haha -- Thanks for yet another laugh, Dawn! Hot Cross Buns! haha My daughter isn't even IN the band, but we always get treated to a band concert before her Christmas show and her Spring show at school. My husband and I always say (as were heading to the school), "Ready for some Hot Cross Buns?" It is really amazing to hear the difference between the younger kids and the older kids. However, if have have to hear that song again, I'm going to wrestle you for the drumstick to shove in my ear! ;o)

My son had his 5th grade school concert in December. He's in the chorus, which of course was last on the program, after the 5th grade band and then 5th grade orchestra. Did you know Up on the Housetop can be played as a dirge?

Oh I remember the school band days and not real fondly. Concert after concert after concert, hours and hours of sitting in the freezing cold school theatre. My son was in every band, so we couldn't leave after he performed like all the other parents did, no, I had to stay through the. whole. thing. One concert was four hours long and then they wised up and split the bands into two separate nights. And of course he was performing both nights.

First of all, I have never got the cool nipple stickers and I am a bit intrigued by this. Is it for those that are modest and don't want anyone to see their nipples? I think the tech seeing my nipples is the least of my worries since, she practically feels me up and I don't even get a drink out of it.

I used to work in the band room at an elementary school and hearing Hot Cross Buns made me want to impale myself on sharp objects. Got to love those little buggers though...

I'm going for my mamo in March after I turn the dreaded 40 on 2/22. What exactly are those sticker things for? And I'm guessing it won't be any big deal because mine are pretty much flat after breast-feeding two kids. So - thanks for the play by play heads up on what to expect! :-) Jenn

I'm jealous you can make their birthday treats. We have to buy them here in UT. Its really annoying.I haven't gotten a mammo yet but I sure am glad to know I should brush up on my hopey pokey skills before I go.

I've never gotten the stickers! Excuse my ignorance, but what is the purpose of the stickers? When the tech smashes your boob, don't the stickers just crinkles up anyway? And if they don't crinkle, they must be really adhesive... which, in that case, I'd pass on them anyway. OUCH!!

I'm an x-ray tech and I can shed light on the mystery of the nipple stickers!! The tiny bb on the sticker is so the radiologist reading the mammo knows for sure what they are seeing is the nipple. (and yep, it goes directly on the nipple!) When you look at a mammo image there are lots of shades of gray and the radiologist has to be able to pick out what should be there (a nipple shadow) vs something that shouldn't (a lump, cyst, etc.) We even have different stickers for scars and big moles!(shapes in stead of bb's).

My kindergartner has pink eye, too. Luke has gotten pink eye on either January 9th or January 14th every year except last year. We did the happy dance on February 1st because he got through January without pink eye, then he got it a few days later, in early February. No one can explain it, either. I never get it, but he is obviously very susceptible to it. There's nothing I love better than dragging him to the pediatrician to have a 2 second appointment just the get the prescription and pay $88 for an office visit. Especially when I live about 500 yards from the pharmacy. Heaven forbid they just phone in the script. If the drops haven't expired, I just start him on them. Oh how I hate pink eye!peg